The Chinese government will take over from private companies the pilot ships on certain waterways, Xihua reported. New pilot stations will be set up under local port authorities. On some waterways, a local pilot will board a ship to guide it to its berth. Piloting a foreign vessel represents also an act of state sovereignty and most governments in the world take it very seriously. In China, there are 35 pilot stations, 15 of which belong to large port companies.
(Source: Xinhua)